BY DARGIE KAHSAY
All foreigners who arrive in Addis Ababa through the Bole International Airport their main gateway is the Africa Avenue. AS they pass through Africa Avenue they would be warmly welcomed by a beautiful green place called Africa Park. Further, those who travel all around the city would find the names of their countries as street names. Addis Ababa can make Africans feel at home than any other city.
As the seat and founding place of African continental organization, African Union (AU), Addis Ababa has a lot of features with the signs, symbols and features of African history. The predecessor of AU, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was founded in Addis Ababa in1963 after the two groups, Monrovia and Casablanca, agreed to establish one continental organization by the effort of Ethiopia’s Emperor Haileselassie.
Thirty two countries of the continent were founded the OAU, the current AU in Addis Ababa in May 1963. After the founding fathers of African unity established OAU, all the leaders of the 32 countries planted seedlings in Addis Ababa, named Africa Park. Africa Park is currently among the protected beautiful and green centers in Addis Ababa with three different parts, named Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Africa, and providing different recreational services.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, Communication head of Addis Ababa City Urban Beautification and Green Development Bureau Adebabay Sendeq said that Africa Park is a memorial park of the founding fathers of OAU/AU. “It is the park that the well-known and prominent leaders of Africa put their legacy and finger-prints as equal as the continental organization, OAU/AU,” Adebabay said.
Adebabay stated that all the respected leaders and the founders of OAU from the 32 countries participated in the legacy plantation at Africa Park, found at the heart of Addis Ababa between the Menelik-II palace and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in front of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia. According to Adebabay the then leaders of 32 countries and founders of OAU planted endemic trees and “all planted trees are developed and are now become among the big trees of the city.”
“Each tree has a caption with the name of the leader who planted it. The caption includes the name and the country of the person. These trees are endemic perennial. These trees planted by the founders of OAU/AU are now telling history of Africa and beauty of Addis Ababa,” the communication head noted.
Emperor Hailesilassie of Ethiopia, President Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana was among the known leaders of Africa who put their legacy in the park. These leaders planted not trees, but their names in Addis Ababa as the trees are told people “they were planted by these prominent continental politicians.”
For decades, the park was protected and closed. But, in 2004, the park originally commemorates and finally opened its gates to the public in 2010. Adebabay said that the park was fully opened to the public four years ago and is providing different services which includes fountain with Africa map, artificial rivers, children recreational centers, café and restaurants and other services.
In addition to the leaders from Africa that put their legacy by planting trees in 1963, during the Ethiopian millennium, artists from different countries of Africa that gathered the Ethiopian millennium also planted seedlings in this historic park. Adebabay said during the Ethiopian millennium, a lot of African countries artists and gusts planted trees with the former Prime Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi. Hence, he said, the Africa Park is a unique place that almost all Africans put their legacy.
After the millennium, with the support of Ethiopian investors worth 13.5 million birr, the park became renewed with modern facilities and recreational centers by dividing in to three parts. The three parts of the park has their own names, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Africa, Adebabay added. After these investments and cares, the park opened for the public and started providing different services.
“Though the park is a historic one, so far, it was not promoted and remained closed for long time” Adebabay said adding “now the park started providing different recreational services and opened for public visit” In addition, Adebabay said that there are plans and activities to start providing various African cultural foods and to prepare suitable reading places to attract visitors and to promote the historic park.
“The city administration is working to make the park African park by providing different African cultural products since the park has direct connection with all Africans,” he added.
Addis Ababa is the head quarter of AU, ECA and other different continental organizations. In addition, the city has different features and symbols of African identities. The Park is among the features that reminds every one of the historic role of Addis Ababa in Africa. In addition to these features, Addis Ababa has named its streets and squares after the names of all African countries.
If you walk in the streets of Addis Ababa, it is common to see streets with the name of African countries. All countries have street names in the capital.
The Ethiopian Herald February 8/2022
